[TPP-8] ZKsync Community Activation Pilot Program (2025–2026) allocates a total of 13.6M ZK (approximately USD $680,000 at $0.05 per token) to an RFP Pool that aims to support in-person and online growth and education initiatives. The RFP Pool funds will be distributed through a new Request for Proposal (RFP).
What is an RFP?
An RFP (Request for Proposal) is an open call issued by a program administrator that outlines a specific objective, opportunity, challenge, or need within the ecosystem, and invites individuals, teams and organizations to submit their proposed solution for how they would address it.
RFP processes are common practice in the Ethereum ecosystem. See examples from: Compound DAO Voting Service Provider RFP, Arbitrum Treasury Management Service RFP, ZKsync Secondary Governance Interface RFP.
How will RFPs be used in the Community Activation Program?
The ZKsync Foundation is the program administrator responsible for issuing RFPs related to Community Activation. The ZKsync Foundation will publish RFPs for community initiatives that have been identified as important opportunities for the community to get involved. Each RFP will come from one of the four categories outlined in the proposal.
| RFP Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Product Marketing and Community Activation | Campaigns and events to increase ZKsync brand and solutions awareness in alignment to broader industry calendar. |
| Adoption Enablement | Content, such as videos or reports, or events that support onboarding, business opportunities, and activity on ZKsync. |
| Data & Transparency | Initiatives that aggregate, summarize, and surface ZKsync activity. |
| Community Tooling | Deploy tools that can scale effective community initiatives, with evidence of impact over previous 12 months |
For each RFP, interested participants can then submit their proposals detailing their approach, timeline, expected budget breakdown and expected impact. Exact details for submission requirements and process will be clarified in each RFP.
All RFP responses will be reviewed and evaluated by the ZKsync Foundation based on strategic alignment, feasibility, and experience. For each RFP, one or more (specified in RFP) winners may be selected for funding. The ZKsync Foundation might not select a winner if no proposals meet the requirements of a given RFP.
Awarded projects will receive funding to execute the specification set out in their submission in the form of ZK tokens. The conditions of each RFP will determine the duration and cadence of funding distribution (e.g., upfront, milestone-based, or phased) and whether a lock-up period will apply to the tokens.
The ZKsync Foundation plans to post new RFPs continuously throughout the program to ensure ongoing innovation and community participation.
How are RFPs different from grants?
A grants program funds community-driven ideas with flexible scope, while an RFP process commissions providers to deliver on a specific, predefined need. In other words, grants encourage open exploration, whereas RFPs focus on targeted execution.
A grants program says: “Bring us your ideas, and we’ll fund the ones that help grow the ecosystem.” An RFP process says: “Here’s the problem or project we need done. Show us how you’ll deliver it.”
| RFP | Grants | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Solve a specific problem or deliver a clearly defined outcome. | Encourage broad experimentation and community-driven initiatives. |
| Process | Organization publishes requirements, and providers submit proposals on how they’d execute. | Open application — individuals or teams propose their own ideas. |
| Selection | Evaluated on who can best deliver the predefined scope, within budget/timeline. | Evaluated on alignment with ecosystem goals, but proposals are usually self-directed. |
| Structure | More prescriptive, tied to measurable KPIs and deliverables. | More open-ended, funding can support diverse projects. |
| Scope Ownership | The issuing organization defines the scope; applicants compete to fulfill it. | The applicant defines the scope, deliverables, and approach. |